Projects

The Quiet Enchanting

Date Exhibited
October 2023
Location
London
Commissioner
King's Culture
Research Partners
Academics of the King's Community

An invitation into a mythic time of glimmering interdependence and ecological abundance. Here, mass disillusionment with the status quo has led to a rewilding of the soul, and city of London.

 

With the support of the team at King’s Culture, and the wider King’s community, we spent a year investigating the knotty complexity of the climate crisis through intersecting lenses of neuroscience, geography, governance, economics and more. Our conversations made apparent the need for positive imaginaries and guiding narrative visions.

The Quiet Enchanting is one such vision: an installation of digital screens and printed artworks that imagine a journey of deep transformation, within ourselves and the city around us. Rather than portray a direct picture of one possible future, The Quiet Enchanting poses questions to invite imaginings and wonder. We ask: How can we rewild ourselves? And, could rewilding ourselves change the world?

From the Great Resignation to the Quiet Enchanting

The Quiet Enchanting draws inspiration from The Great Resignation of 2022. We’ve interpreted this moment as marking a transformation from mass disillusionment with the status quo, and imagined how such a transition might lead to a rewilding of the soul, and city.

Rather than follow the illusory clock time of capital that organises life and labour, the characters of The Quiet Enchanting disavow clocking in and out to re-attune themselves to the cyclical time of the seasons, of celestial bodies and tides, and in doing so, find a new sense of purpose that nourishes mental and ecological health. Recognising their latent power to change the systems, the protagonists listened to the groans of the earth and responded with care and gratitude, freeing the Thames from man made trappings and acknowledging its liveliness, they worked collectively to restore socio-ecological equity.

 

The Story of The Quiet Enchanting

As part of the worldbuilding process, we crafted a short poetic narrative to immerse ourselves in the history, characters, sounds, species and feel of the new-yet-familiar London.

How can we collectively imagine climate positive futures?

Whilst The Quiet Enchanting might appear fantastical, it takes as its inspiration the work and musings of Climate Scientists and academics in the King’s Community. In July 2022, we embarked on ‘Cascade Inquiry’, a research residency and in-depth, deep-listening inquiry wherein we spoke to many King’s professors and researchers from neuroscience to war studies, geography to finance, policy, and more. As well as those further afield – consulting individuals from Greater London Authority, Policy Lab, Tomorrow’s Cities, Centre for Global Lives.

What emerged from these conversations was the acknowledgement that whilst there is no shortage of expertise in specific fields, there lacked the thing that binds these disciplines and ideas together, and brings them into the world through action. How can we collectively imagine climate positive futures? As storytellers we are in a position to do this work of seeding narrative visions that ignite a sense of hope and possibility.

Our inquiry opened up many potentialities to be realised through experiential futures, investigative design, collaborative workshops and mythmaking. And the insights and imaginings surfaced from these conversations laid the foundations for what would become The Quiet Enchanting.

 

A mythological frieze

The mural form of The Quiet Enchanting is in dialogue with the architectural site it occupies. Wrapping around the windows of Bush House we created a mythical frieze – a continuous narrative that could offer a view into transformed worlds both familiar and strange. Research from the King’s Community was re-interpreted into speculative mise-en- scenes referencing pre-modern poetics, pagan folklore, animist societies and belief-systems. In this mythic world, culture and nature are no longer separated, and recognisable landmarks in the London Borough of Westminster have harmoniously adapted for humans and nature to collaboratively thrive.

Interspersed along the frieze, open questions invite imaginings, wonder and pause from passersby:

Impact

The interactive survey adjoined to The Quiet Enchanting has received all manner of musings and inspiring responses to the questions posed by the work.

The Quiet Enchanting is the artistic partner for King’s Policy Institute’s Hopeful Futures research project, and will be the basis of discussion for a Citizen Assembly in September 2024 around positive climate action.

Sustainability statement

The Quiet Enchanting supports King’s Climate and Sustainability action plan, which seeks to accelerate climate research, education and action across the University with the aim of influencing climate adaption and enabling just and fair transitions to net zero. The pedestrianised Strand Aldwych, which transformed one of the capital’s most congested and polluted streets running through King’s Strand Campus, will provide a new ‘creative thinking quarter’ for students and the wider public.

Acknowledgements

Commissioned by King’s Culture, King’s College London

With thanks to Beatrice Pembroke, Alison Duthie, Jocelyn Cheek and Matt Fryer

Superflux Project Team: Anab Jain, Jon Ardern, Camille Dunlop, Isabelle Bucklow, Ed Lewis, Matthew Edgson

Additional visuals created by Tom Hunter, Thomas McLucas and Arko Bhowmik

Graphic Design by Stelios Ypsilantis

Animations created by Cream Projects

Video sound mixing & music created by David Vélez

Production & Installation of panels by SLS Media

AV equipment supplied by GVAV

Press & PR Support by Rees & Co.

With support from King’s Estates & Facilities Team, and Westmister Council

Thanks to Westminster City Council Events and Planning teams

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Title By Date
From Active Hope to Tangible Realities: Interview with Anab Jain Superflux 04.12.2023
The Quiet Enchanting launches on the Strand Superflux 19.10.2023
Action Speaks Summit Now Open at New York Climate Week 2023 Superflux 21.09.2023
Radical Design For A World In Crisis in Noema Magazine Superflux 27.04.2023
Superflux featured in Design Week Superflux 17.03.2023
Announcing Superflux’s ambitious new initiative: CASCADE INQUIRY Superflux 10.01.2023
ANAB & JON RECEIVE THE ROYAL DESIGNER FOR INDUSTRY (RDI) AWARD 2022 Superflux 10.01.2023
SAFE: A Collection of Works Exploring Safer Futures Superflux 05.10.2022
Superflux Featured on BBC Radio 4 Anab 10.08.2022
SUBJECT TO CHANGE: Announcing Superflux’s first-ever solo exhibition at The DROOG Gallery Superflux 04.02.2022
Superflux’s new immersive installation opens at Museum of the Future, Dubai Superflux 23.02.2022
Design Studio of the Year Award 2021 Superflux 17.12.2021
A More Than Human Manifesto Superflux 17.12.2021
Superflux Interview in ICON Magazine Superflux 12.12.2021
“Dreamed-up Designs”: a Financial Times feature on Superflux Superflux 18.06.2021
Calling Creative Producers! Superflux 08.02.2021
‘Our Friends Electric’ acquired by the European Patent Office Anab 15.03.2021
Emerging Futures Grant from National Lottery Community Fund Superflux 16.11.2020
‘Standing on the Shoulders’ Podcast: On Plural Futures and Multi-Species Companionship Superflux 01.10.2020
Superflux Invited to La Biennale Di Venezia 2021 Superflux 03.07.2020
EU Horizon 2020 Grant for Superflux and Partners Superflux 19.06.2020
Experiments in Indoor Farming Superflux 08.06.2020
Calling for a More-Than-Human Politics Superflux 23.03.2020
Superflux Feature in ‘Feeling the Future’ Conference Superflux 24.06.2020
Spring in Flux Superflux 14.04.2020
Calling Creative Producers! Superflux 29.01.2020
Inviting Internship Applications Superflux 16.01.2020
Come Work With Us Superflux 01.10.2019
Stop Shouting Future, Start Doing It Anab 24.01.2019
2018 Highlights Superflux 21.12.2018
Instant Archetypes: A toolkit to imagine plural futures Superflux 01.11.2018
TED Talk: Why We Need To Imagine Different Futures Anab 19.06.2017
Cartographies of Imagination Anab 30.09.2018
Tackling the Ethical Challenges of Slippery Technology Anab 11.06.2018
AI, HUMANITARIAN FUTURES, AND MORE-THAN-HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN Superflux 08.06.2018
The Future Starts Here Superflux 29.05.2018
Studio News: Power, AI and Air Pollution Superflux 09.10.2017
Future(s) of Power Launch Event Anab 09.10.2017
BUGGY AIR AT DESIGN FRONTIERS Superflux 15.09.2017
Calling all comrades & collaborators! Superflux 14.09.2017
CAN SPECULATIVE EVIDENCE INFORM DECISION MAKING? Anab 31.05.2017
STUDIO NEWS: TED, MAPPING, FOOD COMPUTERS, AND THE FUTURE OF WORK. Superflux 21.04.2017
BACK TO THE FUTURE: WHAT WE DID IN 2016 Superflux 31.01.2017
REALITY CHECK: PRESENTING AT UNDP SUMMIT Jon 06.12.2016
MITIGATION OF SHOCK JOURNAL Jon 12.07.2016
STUDIO HAPPENINGS Anab 04.07.2016
PROFESSORSHIP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED ARTS VIENNA Anab 28.06.2016
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2015 Anab 30.12.2015
SUPERFLUX MAGAZINE, ISSUE 1. Anab 21.04.2015
THE DRONE AVIARY JOURNAL Anab 09.04.2015
IOT, DRONES AND SPACE PROBES: ALTERNATE NARRATIVES Anab 01.03.2015
AUTUMN NEWS Jon 08.11.2014
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND DESIGN: AN INTERVIEW WITH SARA HENDREN Anab 07.11.2014
A QUARTERLY UPDATE FROM THE STUDIO Anab 11.05.2014
IN THE LOOP: DESIGNING CONVERSATION WITH ALGORITHMS Superflux 04.04.2014
IOTA WINS NOMINET TRUST FUNDING Jon 25.10.2013
SAILING THE SEAS OF SUPERDENSITY: GUEST POST BY SCOTT SMITH Superflux 19.10.2013
DNA STORIES: GUEST POST BY CHRISTINA AGAPAKIS Superflux 30.09.2013
PRESS RELEASE: DYNAMIC GENETICS VS. MANN Jon 01.08.2013
AN INTRODUCTION TO INFRASTRUCTURE FICTION: GUEST POST BY PAUL GRAHAM RAVEN Superflux 24.06.2013
SUPERNEWS, VOL 1. Jon 08.04.2013